Polyurethane coating compositions prepared from 4,4{40 -methylene bis(cyclohexylisocyanate) and polyether triol blends

ABSTRACT

Novel polyurethane coating compositions characterized by excellent curing properties are prepared from 4,4&#39;&#39; -methylene bis(cyclohexylisocyanate) and mixtures of polyether triols.

United States Patent Inventors George S. Wooster Hamburg; Frank M. Delgado, Tonawanda, both of N.Y. Appl. No. 729,378 Filed May 15, I968 Patented Dec. 7, 1971 Assignee Allied Chemical Corporation New York, N.Y.

POLYURETHANE COATING COMPOSITIONS PREPARED FROM 4,4 '-METHYLENE BIS(CYCLOHEXYLISOCYANATE) AND POLYETHER TRlOL BLENDS 1 Claim, No Drawings 11.5. C1 260/775 AT, 117/124 E, 117/132 13, 260/18 TN, 260/312 N, 260/3 1.4 R, 260/32.8 N, 260/332 R, 260/33.6

UB, 260/775 AP 1111. en C08q 22/06 [50] Field of Search 260/775 AP, 2.5 AP, 77.5 AT, 2.5 AT

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,354,100 ll/l967 Kuryla 260/775 X OTHER REFERENCES Siefken, Annalen der Chemie, 562, 1949, pp l2l & 125 Saunders et 21., Polyurethanes, Part ll, lnter'science, NY, 1964, pp 477- 485 Primary Examiner-Donald E. Czaja Assistant ExaminerM. J. Welsh Attorney-Jay P. Friedenson ABSTRACT: Novel polyurethane coating compositions characterized by excellent curing properties are prepared from 4,4'-methylene bis(cyclohexylispcyanate) and mixtures ofpolyether triols.

POLYURETHANE COATING COMPOSITIONS PREPARED FROM 4,4 '-METHYLENE BIS(CYCLOHEXYLISOCYANATE) AND POLYETHER TRIOL BLENDS Polyurethane compositions derived from 4,4'-methylene bis(cyclohexyl isocyanate) are known to provide excellent properties for a variety of coating applications. Coatings derived, for example, from the reaction of this diisocyanate with a polyol are characterized by excellent toughness, flexibility and color stability, and, particularly in the presence of a catalyst, e.g. an organo-tin compound, will dry to a tack-free film in a few hours. However, a complete cure, that is through-cure of the coating generally requires a considerably longer time, in the order of several days. For many applications the drying of the coating to a tack-free state is sufficient to permit normal use of the object or structure that has been coated, even though through-cure" has not taken place. However, in applications where the coating is subjected to particularly heavy use, as in the case of seamless floorings, it is important that through-cure take place before the coated surface is put into normal use. In such cases a rapid throughcure rate of the coating composition is particularly advantageous.

It is an object of the present invention to provide polyurethane coating compositions having substantially improved through-cure rates.

It is a further object to provide polyurethane coating compositions having improved tackfree drying times, and improved hardness characteristics in the cured coating.

It is another object of this invention to provide method of producing such improved coating compositions.

These and other objects and advantages which will be apparent hereinafter are accomplished in accordance with the present invention which is described and claimed below.

We have discovered that novel polyurethane coating compositions characterized by faster through-cure rates can be prepared by reacting a mixture comprising 70 to 80 mol per- Total weight of mixture MC mole of triol of between about 1200 and 1500.

The effective molecular weight of the triols employed is important in achieving the desired properties in the final product and is governed by the hydroxyl number of the triol according to the relationship:

(3) (56,100) OH No.

Thus a triol having an Em of between l000 and 2000 inherently has a hydroxyl number of between about 80 and 170; and a triol having an Efiiv'v of between 250 and 850 inherently has an hydroxyl number of between about I90 and 700.

Suitable polyether triols include for example those prepared by condensation of an alkylene oxide, such as ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, mixtures thereof and the like with a low molecular weight triol such as glycerine, trimethylol propane, hexanetriol- 1,2,6 and the like. Such triols are commercially available in a wide range of molecular weight, and thus in a wide range of hydroxyl numbers. A polyether triol prepared, for example, from the condensation of ethylene oxide and glycerine would have the structure:

wherein n, n' and n 'are integers.

. The hydroxyl number of a polyether is defined in accordance with ASTM-Dl638 as the number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide equivalent to the hydroxyl content of 1 gram of the sample. The hydroxyl number of a specific polyether triol can be determined in accordance with the test procedures described in detail in the aforementioned ASTM-Dl638.

A general discussion of polyethers can be found in Saunders et al. Polyurethanes, Chemistry and Technology, Part I. Chemistry, High Polymers Vol. XVI, lnterscience Publishers, New York, 1962, pp. 32-44.

4,4'-Methylene bis(cyclohexyl is-ocyanate) hereinafter referred to as H MDI, is the isocyanate and may be used in any of its various isomeric forms or mixtures thereof. The compound exists in three different isomeric forms depending on the position, i.e. cis or trans, of the isocyanate group with respect to the methylene bridging group. The usual commercial grades of the isocyanate are mixtures of various proportions of the three isomers, i.e. the cis-cis, cis-trans, and transtrans isomers. The isomers can be separated by conventional physical separation techniques. Either the pure isomers or mixtures thereof are suitable for use in the compositions of the present invention. Because of the faster reactivity of the trans isomer with hydroxyl groups, H MDl containing a preponderance of trans isomer are preferred.

The novel coating compositions of the present invention are the one can type and may be employed in a conventional solvent and applied to a substrate by the usual methods, spraying, dipping, flow'coating, and the like. Conveniently the solvent is addedprior to reaction of the triols and H MDI, thereby providing a reaction medium as well as a vehicle for the coating composition. Suitable solvents include for example, the lacquer type-organic solvents, such as ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, tol'uene, xylene, cyclohexanone, bis (fl-ethoxy ethyl) ether, glycol monoether acetate and the like or mixtures thereof. Preferably such solvent mixtures will contain between about 20 percent and 70 percent by weight of nonvolatiles.

Preferably a catalyst is employed to promote the formation of the polyurethane reaction product. Typical catalysts include, for example, the well-known metal driers, such as lead naphthenate, and organo-mercury compounds, such as phenyl mercuric propionate; and organo-tin compounds, such as dibutyltin dilaurate, tetramethyl tin, dimethyl dioctyltin, dilauryltin difluoride, di-2'ethylhexyltin bis (monobutylmateate), tri-n-butyl tin acetonate and the like and mixtures thereof. The catalyst is advantageously employed in an amount of about 0.005 to 0.5 percent by weight based on the weight of polyurethane reactants. A small additional amount of catalyst is generally added after the reaction product has been formed to improve its drying properties, usually 0.05 to 0.5 percent by weight of the nonvolatiles.

These novel coating compositions can also contain stabilizers, flowing agents, plasticizers and the like.

PREPARATION OF COATING COMPOSITlONS The coating compositions can be prepared by forming a dry mixture of the solvent, polyol and isocyanate and then adding the catalyst. in the preferred procedure the solvent and the polyol are first mixed and then azeotropically distilled to remove any free water. Preferably, the reaction is carried out under a blanket of a dry inert gas such as nitrogen to prevent contact of the reaction mixture and atmospheric moisture. The mixture is heated to between about -410 C. for a period of at least 1 hour.

The reaction may be considered complete when the measured amine equivalent" of the batch exceeds the theoretical value usually in the range of about 10 to 20 percent over the theoretical value. By amine equivalent" is meant the weight of the mass which contains one equivalent weight of isocyanate, the weight units being consistent. it is determined by Amine equivalent Determined 25 grams of sample, with 30-50 cc. of CF. toluene, add 20 cc.

of 2 N solution of dibutyl amine in toluene, heat 5 to 10 minutes (do not boil), cool, add 100 cc. of methanol, add 10 drops of Bromphenol Blue indicator solution, titrate with l N l-lCl to the disappearance of blue color, run a blank. The value of the measured amine equivalent is calculated by the equation:

IOOOWS AE W wherein:

WS weight of sample in grams TB titration of blank in ml. HCl

TS titration of sample in ml. HCl

N normality of HCl The analytical procedure is similar to a method for assaying tolylene diisocyanate described in paragraphs 5-13 inclusive of ASTM method 1638-601. (See U.S.P. 3,35 L573 col. 6, lines S4ff.)

To further illustrate the present invention and the manner in which it may be practiced the following specific examples are set forth.

EXAMPLES l and 2 Coating compositions in accordance with the present invention were prepared using the preferred procedure described above using the amounts of ingredients shown in the table below. The coating compositions were evaluated with respect to cure rates, hardness and drying times in the manner described herein below. For purposes of comparison the compositions of examples la and 2a which fall outside of the parameters of this invention, were similarly prepared and evaluated.

To each coating composition prepared as described below, an additional 0.3 percent dibutyltin dilaurate catalyst (based THROUGH CURE RATES The through-cure rates of the foregoing compositions were evaluated as follows: A film was prepared from each composition, by applying a few drops of the composition on a NaCl plate and smearing between two plates. The films were cured at percent relative humidity and 72 F. At various intervals during curing, the degree of cure was measured in terms of free-NCO groups by infrared absorbance at 4.45 u, using a Perkin-Elmer lnfrared Unit No. 337. The percent cure was calculated as:

Initial absorbance absorbance at time (t) Percent cure:

In1t1al absorbance The percent cure for each sample, taken at the times shown was as follows:

Example I 2 2a In Time 3i:

l day 54.0 43.5 20.2 36.8 2 days 63.4 51.4 28.9 42.9 3 days 67.0 54.4 29.6 49.6 4 days 74.0 6L0 36.0 56.0

HARDNESS OF COATINGS Coatings were prepared from each composition by pouring into a metal mold and evaporating the solvent to provide a dry film of about mils thickness. The coatings were cured at 50 percent relative humidity and 72 F. for 6 days and then tested for Shore D" hardness described in ASTM D-l706 test procedure. The results as shown below indicate the advantages of the present compositions with regard to improved hardness characteristics:

Example I la 2 2:: Shore D Hardness (:2) 45 35 50 35 Tackfree Time The novel compositions also provide the advantage of achieving a tackfree state in a relatively short period of time compared to other coatings having approximately the same cross-linking equivalency (Me). The following data was obtained from films applied to a glass plate, drawn down with a Bird Applicator and cured at 3539 percent relative humidity at 77 F.

Exam lo I l 2 2 on the amount of total nonvolatiles) was added prior to the ac- 50 M p 14m 1278 tual coating application, to accelerate the drying thereof. Tuck-free Time (hours) 2.4 13

TABLE Example 1 1a 2 2a Composition (grams):

4,4-methy enebis (oyclohexyl isocyanate) (trans/cis rati0=ab0t1t76/25) 'Iriol (total) Plumcol 'lP-1540 (OH N Pluracol TP-740 (OH NO Pluracol TP-440 (011 No. 404) Pluracol 'IP-340 (0H No.=561) Solvent (xylene) Catalyst (dibutyltin dilaurate) NCO/OH Crosslinking equivalent wt. (mc.)

Theoretical" Composition (mol 4,4'-emthylene Triol (total) bis (eyclohexyl lsocyenate) Mol percent of high BE trlol ('IP-1540) M01 percent 0! high Emw trlol ('IP-740)- Mol percent of low Emw triol ('IP-440) Mol percent of low Emw triol (TP-340) Commercial polyether triols based on propylene oxide and trimethylolpropanc the numbers of which indicate the average molecular weights.

6 We claim: a cross-linking equivalent weight (Mc) determined according l. A polyurethane prepolymer comprising the reaction to the formula: product of a mixture comprising 70 to 80 mol percent of 4,4- methylenebis (cyclohexyl isocyanate) and to 30 mol per- Total weight of mixture cent of a blend of at least two polyether triols comprising (A) 5 111015 of triol 20 to 30 mol percent of triols having an Emw of about 1000 to W 2000 and (B) 70 to 80 mol percent of a triol having an EfrTW of Of between about 1200 and 500- about 250 to 850; s aidmiggturepein g furt her charaeteriggl lay t v I: I: 

